In the Shaanxi History Museum, a half dozen of the warriors are displayed just a few feet away, not hidden by glass cases, not hidden by distance.
The life-size warriors were unknown for 2300 years. They are in different poses and originally were painted and carrying their weapons, chariot reins, etc. The wooden implements have disintegrated as did the color after exposure to the air in 1974.
The warriors have individual faces, supposedly all different. There are many varieties of uniforms.
Armor of heavy pieces of leather
Also in leather armor, but with a different hat.
Armor, from the rear. This pose was explained to us, but I don't remember what it was.
Two armored warriors, perhaps archers. On the left, from Shaanxi History Museum, on the right from The Museum of Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang. Xi'an is the capital of Shaanxi province; both town and province have their own museums. The warrior museum is an hour from Xi'an by new toll highway.
A general, in glass above his troops. In this era of hand-to-hand combat, physically big men were more likely to survive and succeed and advance in rank.
A warrior or charioteer
Closeup of armor. In this exhibit, the leather plates are held together by modern wire, but on the warrior statues they seem to be riveted together.
Here's the first view of the Warriors. It's a huge building. The warriors and equipment were placed in wood buildings between the long columns of packed earth.
Closeup. A sign asks tours not to stay on this first viewpoint for more than 30 seconds or so.
Looking back at the viewing platform
Near the back, you can see the warriors much more clearly.
Closeup. I don't know why they're different colors.
A mock-up of a chariot, but without the chariot. Note the headless horseman on the left. It seems that all the heads were cast separately.
Finally we see that the warriors were not standing in formation when found. The roofs fell in, there was an anti-Qin farmers' rebellion in early times, so it was jumble. All the entire warriors are assembled or patched.
Shaanxi museum has one more warrior than they can display, so this one stands headless outside a closed stairway.
